Water Based Finishes: So What's In a Name

As water-based wood coatings find their way into new woodworking markets, many users remain confused about the origin, use, and expectations of these sophisticated coatings. Terminology, resin make up, final hardness and specifics for use have become less complicated over the past 5 years, but many finishers who want to make the switch from solvent to WB’s are still confused over what exactly it is that they are working with. Terms such as “water-based,” “waterborne” and “hybrid” are now common when shopping for a new finish, but little information is available as to what these terms actually mean.

The word “Water-Based” is used as the generic, benchmark term for coatings that are formulated in a water suspended medium of varying proportions, whereby water is acting as the diluent or secondary solvent used in conjunction with resin (polymeric or resinous) dissolving solvent. Water is not the true dissolving solvent, but is the latent solvent used as the carrier for the various resin bodies used to create the final film formation. Water-Based coatings can be either waterborne or water-reducible.